Tom DeLonge’s Big Announcement

Tom DeLonge’s big UFO announcement has come and gone and most reactions seem to depend on what you were hoping he would announce, what you think the governments of the world are hiding and what you thought of Blink182.

“To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science has mobilized a team of the most experienced, connected and passionately curious minds from the US intelligence community, including the CIA and Department of Defense, that have been operating under the shadows of top-secrecy for decades. The team members all share a common thread of frustration and determination to disrupt the status quo, wanting to use their expertise and credibility to bring transformative science and engineering out of the shadows and collaborate with global citizens to apply that knowledge in a way that benefits humanity.”

Tom DeLonge

That paragraph from the website of the To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science pretty much sums up the announcement except for naming names. DeLonge has used his own name, money and lifelong interest in UFOs, space and the paranormal to create a company dedicated to delving deeply into those topics without being “suffocated by mainstream ideology and bureaucratic constraint.” That, of course, assumes that the reason why there is so little solid information on UFOs, space and the paranormal is because it’s “suffocated by mainstream ideology and bureaucratic constraint” and not because it may not exist or that it takes time, money, dedication and education to pursue answers. And THAT explains the vast differences of opinion and strong feelings about DeLonge’s announcement.

“To The Stars Academy strives to be a powerful vehicle for change by creating a consortium among science, aerospace and entertainment that will work collectively to allow gifted researchers the freedom to explore exotic science and technologies with the infrastructure and resources to rapidly transition them to products that can change the world.”

The words “Arts” and “entertainment” in the mission statement have upset some because it implies to them that DeLonge will use the organization as a vehicle to market his own writings and music. Well, that’s what he does and that’s what he brings to the organization – the ability to not only present to but also persuade both the public and the providers of the “secret” information via entertainment. He’s already shown he can do it by bringing this large, diverse group of people together and, as the Wikileaks emails revealed, make serious contacts with government and military officials in the pursuit of information. For those who think entertainment should be left out of research and education, tell that to Ken Burns.

Then there’s the group that is disappointed in varying degrees because there was no “big reveal” in the announcement – no space ships, no aliens, no ET messages, no solid evidence. Get over it! That’s not their job … it’s YOURS! The other two legs of the To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science are ‘science’ and ‘aerospace’. Don’t just blindly stare at the shadow of the eclipse … study the science of them, take kids to science museums, skip one sci-fi con and enter them in a technology fair instead. Support politicians who are committed to supporting and funding science and science education. Go outside and look at the stars. Then vote for politicians who know that that view is fading and only science can clean the cosmic glass. The more of space you can see, the better your chances are of seeing a UFO yourself and providing the proof that so many believe is being hidden.

Tom DeLonge is guy with interest, inspiration and imagination (and cash and fame). We don’t need less of him … we need more. He’s not the scientist nor the classic ufologist and may not be the guy who opens the box of secrets or even finds it, but if we look at what he’s doing with disdain, we’ll discourage others from trying, especially our next generations but also those people with the money and the fame to lead the creative charge to greater knowledge of our universe.

As Tom DeLonge says … we have a chance. Stop talking about it or complaining about it … take it and do it.

Paul Seaburn Paul Seaburn is one of the most prolific writers at Mysterious Universe. He’s written for TV shows such as "The Tonight Show", "Politically Incorrect" and an award-winning children’s program. He's been published in “The New York Times" and "Huffington Post” and has co-authored numerous collections of trivia, puzzles and humor. Paul likes to add a bit of humor to each MU post he crafts. After all, the mysterious doesn't always have to be serious.